English Honors,

Advanced Placement, &

International Baccalaureate

Summer Reading Assignments

(updated Jan. 2026)

Students enrolling in English Honors, AP or IB courses will be exposed to a rigorous curriculum covering a variety of genres, time periods and styles. Key to student success is the student’s ability to understand, analyze and write effectively. Students may check out a book from the textbook room, WHS library, a public library, or in some cases, obtain the novel online, free of charge. An objective test and essay relating to the summer reading will be assigned in the first six weeks of the fall semester.  Please note that some honors/AP/IB courses will also have a winter break reading selection as well.

Download the document to the right entitled, “Annotating Instructions” and use this guide to annotate your summer reading novel(s). Thorough annotations are part of the summer reading assignment.

 Students are expected to bring the following to the first class meeting in August:

• Annotated text (no e-readers or Kindles)
• Notes that analyze selected quotes based on literary devices. Literary devices may include, but are not limited to: plot, setting, character, tone, point of view, symbolism, voice, etc.
• Notes that address the author’s purpose in using the devices as preparation for classroom discussions.

English 1 Honors: All students enrolling in English 1H will read and annotate Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida. Copies are available for check out in the WHS Textbook Room. Please see the Annotations Guide below for instructions on how to annotate.  Annotate using sticky notes if using a borrowed copy.  Students will be given a multiple-choice exam on the book during the first week of school.  Winter Break Reading:  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

English 2 Honors:  All students enrolling in English 2H will read and annotate The Leavers by Lisa Ko. Copies are available for check out in the WHS Textbook Room. Please see the Annotations Guide at the top of this webpage for instructions on how to annotate. Annotate using sticky notes if using a borrowed copy. Students will be given a multiple-choice exam on the book during the first week of school. Winter Break Reading: see individual teacher.

English 3 Honors: All students enrolling in English 3 Honors will read A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris. Students will also choose ONE of the following selections: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James or Daisy Miller by Henry James.  Students will be given a multiple-choice exam on the book during the first week of school.

English 3 AP:  For those entering AP English 3 (AP English Language and Composition) – Read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass. This work is available for free online at www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23, for check out in the Textbook Room, or at your local library. You may also purchase the book if you wish. Either way, make sure that an unabridged version is used. No annotation is required. Students will be given a multiple-choice exam on the book during the first week of school.  Winter Break Reading:  The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

To be successful in AP English 3, it is essential for students to become informed citizens of the world around them. To aid in this journey, students will need to read and know in detail various news stories covering the following 7 categories: World (International), United States (Domestic), Business and Economics, Politics, Sports, Arts and Entertainment, Science and Technology. You should read and know TWO news articles from each of those seven news categories. Note-taking is recommended, but not required. News articles may not be older than one year.

During the first week of school, you will be required to provide a detailed summary in class of the news stories you have read. You must provide the following in your summaries: 1) Name of Source, 2) Article Title, and 3) a 7-sentence summary. You may choose news stories from the following sources: NPR.org, latimes.com, nytimes.com, apnews.com, reuters.com. You will NOT be able to use your notes when writing your in-class summaries.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email Mr. Kim [email protected] or Mrs. Tan [email protected]

English 4AP:  All students enrolling in English 4AP will read and annotate Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. Copies are available for check out in the WHS Textbook Room. Please see the Annotations Guide at the top of this webpage for instructions on how to annotate. Annotate using sticky notes if using a borrowed copy. Students will be given a multiple-choice exam on the book during the first week of school. Winter Break Reading: Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya

English IB HL1: All students in the International Baccalaureate HL 1 will read and annotate the Transcendental Background Knowledge documents and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. This IB HL1 Summer Reading Assignment provides the links and additional written assignment instructions.  Winter Break Reading:  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

English IB HL2: All students in the International Baccalaureate HL 2 will read and annotate an excerpt from Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. The IB HL2 Summer Reading Assignment provides the links and additional written assignment instructions.  Winter Break Reading:  The Refugees by Viet Thanh  Nguyen